The effects of differentiated reading instruction on reading comprehension and self-efficacy of undergraduate students

Abstract

This study examined the effects of differentiated reading instruction (DRI) on the reading comprehension and self-efficacy of undergraduate students. The study indicated their improvement in both areas after the intervention. Thirty-three students attending the course of English for Scientists were chosen for the study. The pre-test in reading comprehension and the self-efficacy questionnaire were administered before the intervention. The scores of the pre-test of reading comprehension were used to divide the students into two groups according to their level of reading proficiency: lower-proficiency level students and higher-proficiency level students. The post-test of reading comprehension and that of self-efficacy was administered after the course to measure the students’ improvement. The content, process and product were tiered to accommodate students’ learning in each group. To differentiate the content and process, the materials were tiered according to each group’s reading ability level. Intermediate-level students received the on-level texts while beginner-level students received the simplified texts. Scaffolding was also provided to the students to help their reading according to their proficiency. To differentiate the product or students’ performance, the criteria for assessing students’ presentation were also adjusted to suit the level of the students. The findings showed a significant improvement in both reading comprehension and self-efficacy, with more significant improvement in the lower-level proficiency group. The correlation coefficient suggested that there was no relationship between students’ reading comprehension and self-efficacy. However, the positive attitudes of students toward DRI were evidenced. Based on the study findings, it could be concluded that DRI could be effectively implemented to promote students’ reading comprehension and self-efficacy.